Device to device communication and wayfinding

ABSTRACT

Mobile device users navigate to each other by their mobile devices sharing location information, and then one or more of the mobile devices receiving or generating geographical directions for presentation to the mobile device&#39;s user to navigate to another of the mobile devices. Two mobile devices can provide geographical directions to enable their respective users to navigate toward each other, and a group of mobile devices can receive and provide or display geographical directions to variously enable their respective users to navigate to different mobile devices in the group. In one scenario, first and second mobile devices provide geographical directions to their respective locations and a third mobile device provides geographical directions to the first or second mobile device, and directions are dynamically updated as the mobile devices move.

BACKGROUND

In today's world mobile subscribers or users have user devices such assmart phones that can not only make telephone calls, but can alsofunction as general purpose computing devices that run softwareapplications and network with other computing devices, for example byenabling users to communicate and share different kinds of informationwith each other.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The detailed description is described with reference to the accompanyingfigures. In the figures, the left-most digit(s) of a reference numberidentifies the figure in which the reference number first appears. Thesame reference numbers indicate similar or identical items.

FIG. 1 shows an illustrative computing environment and networkarchitecture for implementing techniques that enable user devices toshare location and direction information so that users of the devicescan communicate and navigate to each other.

FIG. 2 shows illustrative details for various servers and other devicesto implement different aspects of the architecture shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of an illustrative process for implementingtechniques that enable users to communicate and navigate to each otherusing their personal devices.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In simple form, example embodiments variously encompass a process wherea first mobile device (e.g., a child's personal mobile device such as asmart watch) displays or otherwise presents (e.g., via aural guidanceand/or haptic feedback) directions or vectors to a user of the firstmobile device, to direct the user to move (with the first mobile device)to a geographic location of a second mobile device (e.g., a parent'ssmartphone). The location of the second mobile device can be dynamic orchangeable and the directions or instructions presented by the firstmobile device can adapt accordingly as a location of the second mobiledevice changes. In example embodiments the second mobile device (e.g.,the parent's smart phone) can display or convey progress updates and/ora current location of the first mobile device (the child's smart watch).In example embodiments, the second mobile device also presentsdirections to direct the user of the second mobile device to move towardand meet the user of the first mobile device.

One or more additional mobile devices can also become involved, andpresent directions that enable their users to navigate towards eitherthe first mobile device or the second mobile device, and can presentlocations of, and communications from, the first and second mobiledevices.

In example embodiments, each of the mobile devices receives informationregarding its own geographic location, for example via GlobalPositioning System signals received by the mobile device and/or locationdata determined from interaction of the mobile device with local WiFi™hotspots and/or wireless service provider network cell towers or basestations having known locations. In example embodiments the mobiledevices share their respective geographic locations with each other viawireless communications, and one or more of the mobile devices generatesor receives geographic directions or vectors toward another of themobile devices, based on the shared geographic locations. Thesedirections enable or direct users of the mobile devices to navigatetoward and meet each other.

FIG. 1 shows an illustrative computing environment 100 and networkarchitecture to support communication and geographic navigation betweenuser devices 120, 130, 140. The user devices 120, 130, 140 can be mobiledevices or wireless communication devices such as smart phones, tablets,smart watches or other wearable or personal devices capable ofwirelessly communicating with each other via WiFi™ networks, theInternet, and wireless telecommunications service providers. In exampleembodiments, one or more of the user devices 120, 130, 140 have accountsor subscriber agreements to receive wireless and optionally additionalservices from a wireless telecommunications service provider, forexample, via a wireless telecommunications service provider network 101.Alternatively, one or more of the user devices 120, 130, 140 can receivethose services via a roaming arrangement. As shown in FIG. 1, the userdevices 130, 120 communicate via a communication channel 176 and alsowith the user device 140 via a communication channel 178 through thewireless telecommunications service provider network 101. The userdevices 120, 130, 140 respectively have user interfaces 122, 132, 142.The interface 122 conveys communications 122B and directions 122C, andthe interfaces 132, 142 likewise respectively convey communications132B, 142B and directions 132C, 142C respectively. For example, inexample embodiments the directions 132C guide or direct a user of theuser device 130 to travel or move along the vectors or directions 134 toreach a geographical location of the user device 120. Similarly, thedirections 122C guide or direct a user of the user device 120 to travelor move along the vectors or directions 124 to reach a geographicallocation of the user device 130, and the directions 142C guide or directa user of the user device 140 to travel or move along the vectors ordirections 144 to reach a geographical location of the user device 130.

Also shown in FIG. 1 are satellites 152, 154. In an example embodiment,one or both of the satellites 152, 154 convey Global Positioning System(GPS) signals to the user devices 120, 130, 140 via wireless downlinkssuch as the link 136. In an example embodiment, one or both of thesatellites 152, 154 provide two-way communications to one or more of theuser devices 120, 130, 140 to connect them with telecommunicationsservices (e.g., to convey communications directly between two or more ofthe user devices 120, 130, 140, or indirectly through additionalnetworks, for example, by connecting one or more of the user devices120, 130, 140 to a wireless telecommunications service provider networksuch as the network 101 which in turn connects to others of the userdevices 120, 130, 140). One or more of the user devices 120, 130, 140can connect to WiFi™ networks and to the Internet. For example, FIG. 1illustrates the user device 130 connected to a WiFi™ network 103 via alink 164, and the user device 140 connected to the Internet 105 via alink 172. Also shown are a link 162 connecting the WiFi™ network to theInternet 105, a link 174 between the Internet 105 and the wirelesstelecommunications service provider network 101, and links 168, 166, and170 respectively between the user devices 120, 130, 140 and the wirelesstelecommunications service provider network 101.

The wireless telecommunications service provider network 101 containsappropriate infrastructure to support communications between the userdevices 120, 130, 140 and also, in accordance with example embodiments,to support determining geographic locations of the user devices 120,130, 140 (e.g., via cell tower or base station triangulation) andgeographic directions or vector instructions for one or more of the userdevices 120, 130, 140 to move toward another of the user devices 120,130, 140. In particular, the wireless telecommunications serviceprovider network 101 includes resources such as servers 104, 114, datastores 106, 116 and servers 108, 118 to variously supporttelecommunications services and functions.

In a first example embodiment, the user device 130 is a smart phone orsmart watch that belongs to a child, and the user device 120 is a smartphone that belongs to a parent, and the child and parent are separatedin a park such as a city park or a commercial theme park, and the parentdecides that she would like the child to rejoin her. She sends arequest, for example, via a navigation application on her smart phone,to or via a corresponding navigation application on the child's smartphone 130 for the child to make her way back to the parent. Theapplications share respective locations of the user devices 120, 130 (inthis and other example embodiments each user device either knows its owngeographic location based on received GPS signals and/or receiveslocation information periodically from a wireless telecommunicationsservice provider), and the application on the child's user deviceprovides instructions or directions to the child via the interface 132on how to navigate to the parent (i.e., the geographic location of theparent's user device 120). In example embodiments, the directions arerequested by the application on the child's user device 130 or by theapplication on the parent's user device 120 from the wirelesstelecommunications service provider network 101 or third-partynavigation service accessible through the Internet 105, which generatesand sends the directions to the child's user device 130 for presentationto the child (and optionally to the parent's user device 120, to show aprojected path of the child to the parent and/or provide progressupdates to the parent on how the child is progressing in her journeyback to the parent, optionally along with an estimated time of arrival,an elapsed duration of the journey, and so forth). The directions can bevisual, for example, textual directions and/or images or arrows,vectors, or pathway(s) shown on a map, and/or aural (e.g., verbalinstructions or simple tones to indicate proper direction and falsedirections), and/or haptic feedback (vibration patterns, frequencies, orintensities to indicate proper direction and false directions). Theparent and child can also communicate with each other, for example, viatext messages in the communications 132B of the interface 132 and/or thecommunications 122B of the interface 122, as part of the navigationapplications and/or via regular text or voice smart phone communicationsbetween the user devices 120, 130. The user devices 120, 130 continue toperiodically share location information, so that progress of the childin her journey is updated and continues to be reported to the parent,and so that, if the parent's location changes, then updated directionscan be requested and sent to the child's user device 130 and optionallythe parent's user device 120.

In a second embodiment similar to the first, the navigation process istriggered by the child requesting navigation to the parent, and an alertis optionally sent to the parent's user device 120 indicating that thechild has made the request.

In a third embodiment similar to the first, the parent also requestsnavigation to the child, and consequently navigation instructions arerequested and sent to the parent's smart phone (user device 120) tonavigate the parent to the child (i.e., the child's smart phone or userdevice 130), and optionally also to the child's user device 130. In thisembodiment both sets of navigation instructions are periodically updatedor are updated as needed to reflect new locations of the user devices120, 130 as the parent and child move along their respective journeys,and progress reports can be provided to both the parent and the child.

In a fourth embodiment similar to the third embodiment, navigationinitially proceeds as outlined with respect to the first embodiment (thechild is provided with navigation instructions to the parent). Theparent also specifies or includes a time limit, so that if the childhasn't reached the parent by an expiration of the time limit, then theparent's user device 120 requests navigation to the child's user device130 so that the parent can go find the child, as outlined with respectto the third embodiment. The time limit can be set in various ways. Forexample, the parent can explicitly set the time limit, can select adefault time limit, or can select a function in the parent's navigationapplication (e.g., as a default selection or an active selection whenthe timeout function is selected or enabled) that determines the timelimit based on an initial distance between the child's user device 130and the parent's user device 120.

In a fifth embodiment similar to the fourth embodiment, upon expirationof the time limit, in addition to the (first) parent receivingnavigation instructions to the child, a third person such as anotherparent of the child also receives navigation instructions to the child(via, for example, the user device 140), or navigation instructions tothe first parent, in the same fashion as described above with respect tothe third or fourth embodiments.

In a sixth embodiment that combines functions from the second embodimentwith functions or operations from the fifth embodiment, the childrequests navigation (via her user device 130) to the first parent (orthe user device 120), and in response not only is she provided withdirections to the first parent, but also both parents are alerted andprovided with directions (via the user devices 120, 140) to the child(or the user device 130). This can be set up as a default when the childrequests navigation to a parent or can be set to occur when the childrequests navigation to a parent and also selects or sends a message toone or both parents that indicates urgency.

In a seventh embodiment that is a varied combination of the fourth andfifth embodiments, the child receives navigation instructions to a firstparent (at the child's request, or at the first parent's request, or atthe second parent's request) and then upon expiration of the time limit,the second parent also receives navigation instructions to the firstparent, and the child and both parents are each apprised of the others'progress and locations.

In an eighth embodiment that builds on the first or second embodiments,after the child has begun navigation back to the first parent (userdevice 120), either the first parent or the second parent requests thatthe child be redirected to the second parent, so that updated navigationdirections are sent to the child (i.e., the child's user device 130) todirect the child to the second parent (the user device 140). Thereafter,operation can optionally shift to any of the fifth, sixth, or seventhembodiments, with the roles of the first and second parents exchanged(e.g., with respect to adapting the seventh embodiment, upon expirationof the time limit, the first parent receives navigation instructions viathe user device 120 to the second parent (i.e., the second parent's userdevice 140)).

In a ninth embodiment that builds on the fourth and eighth embodiments,after the child begins navigation back to the first parent, uponexpiration of a time period, the child is redirected to the secondparent, so that updated navigation directions are sent to the child(i.e., the child's user device 130) to direct the child to the secondparent (the user device 140). Thereafter, operation can optionally shiftto any of the fifth, sixth, or seventh embodiments, with the roles ofthe first and second parents exchanged (e.g., with respect to adaptingthe seventh embodiment, upon expiration of the time limit, the firstparent receives navigation instructions via the user device 120 to thesecond parent (i.e., the second parent's user device 140)). As in thefourth embodiment, the time limit can be set in various ways. Forexample, either the first or second parent can explicitly set the timelimit, can select a default time limit, or can select a function in thefirst or second parent's navigation application (e.g., as a defaultselection or an active selection when the timeout function is selectedor enabled) that determines the time limit based on an initial distancebetween the child's user device 130 and the first parent's user device120, or between the child's user device 130 and the second parent's userdevice 140.

Additional features can be variously provided in the example embodimentsdescribed herein. For example, if one of the user devices strays beyonda threshold distance from navigation path, then alerts or warnings andoptionally additional navigation instructions can be provided to thestraying user device or other user devices to redirect the straying userand/or vector other users to the straying user. The threshold distancecan, for example, be predetermined, set by one or more of the users, ordynamically determined based on geographic features of terrain to benavigated or safety issues such as proximity to a busy street or crowdedarea. In example embodiments, security protocols can be employed, forexample, to provide or limit a child's navigation options to a select orapproved list of other user devices or mobile devices, and to allowemergency overrides (either to expand service/navigation options orcontract them) based on inclement weather conditions, urgency ofsuccessfully brings mobile device users together, and so forth. Inexample embodiments, navigation can be automatically invoked not justupon expiration of time limits as variously described herein, but alsoon other conditions, including for example, when a parent's query to achild is not answered with a predetermined time interval, or is answeredin a particular way that indicates a need or likelihood for navigationto be provided. Different navigation paths or navigation criteria canalso be specified, for example, by a parent requesting that a childreceive geographic directions to navigate to the parent, based on timeto travel the navigation path, safety of the navigation path, or otherfactors that might affect success or efficiency of the navigationendeavor—for example, to route the child past a particular landmark orlocation, or to make it easier for the parent or another parent ortrusted party to intercept and meet or join the child along thenavigation path.

Further variations and implementation details are available in exampleembodiments. For example, any appropriate location services or locationtechniques or combinations thereof can be used, including but notlimited to GPS positioning, cell tower/base station triangulation, WiFi™network proximity or triangulation, self-reporting of a user via theiruser device 120, 130, 140 of proximity to a known landmark or streetaddress, and so forth. Geographic directions or vectors or other journeyinstructions can be generated by a wireless telecommunications serviceprovider (e.g., by resources on the network 101 or by cloud computingresources available to the wireless telecommunications serviceprovider), by computation or navigation functions resident on one ormore of the user devices 120, 130, 140, or can be generated by one ormore third parties accessible, for example, via the Internet 105 asrequested directly by one or more of the user devices 120, 130, 140 orindirectly by a wireless telecommunications service provider (e.g., viathe network 101) with which the user device(s) has an account or servicecontract. In addition, although a child and two parents are variouslydescribed herein with respect to example embodiments, other exampleembodiments consistent with the principles and operations and functionsdescribed herein can be implemented with respect to different entitiesand different numbers of entities. For example, various embodiments caninclude multiple children, embodiments can be adapted to be used bymultiple people in commercial, government or military relationships andactivities, and so forth.

FIG. 2 shows illustrative details of a computing device 201 and a router203 that can support, or be variously implemented as, the systemcomponents and functions shown in FIG. 1 and/or functions describedherein with respect to various embodiments and scenarios.

One or more instances of the computing device 201 can, for example, forma basis for the user devices 120, 130, 140 as well as for otherequipment and functions of the wireless telecommunications serviceprovider network 101, including for example, the servers 108, 118 aswell as various functions described with respect to the process of FIG.3. Instances of the computing device 201 can also support variousfunctions within the networks 101. The computing device 201 includesprocessors 204, hardware 210, and a communication interface 208, thatcan for example, implement the interfaces 122, 132, 142 and provide thecommunications information 122B, 132B, 142B and the directionsinformation 122C, 132C, 142C. The computing device 201 also has a memory206 that includes (but is not limited to) the various software modulesshown. The navigation module 212 can process received navigationinformation for display via the communication interface 208, andoptionally can generate geographic navigation information or directionsbased on received and/or stored geographic position information. Thecommunications module 214 can support communication monitoring andanalysis functions of the servers 108, 118 and routers 104, 114 tosupport functions of the wireless telecommunications service providernetwork 102 as described herein, for example, to support and monitor thecommunication channels 176, 178 and other communications betweenentities variously shown in FIG. 1 and described herein, as well ascommunication functions in the user devices 120, 130, 140, and canimplement and adjust communication functions in cooperation with thecommunication interface 208. The general operations module 219 cansupport different functions of various applications running on thecomputing device 201 including tasks delegated from other devices orservices. The user interface module 218 can provide user interfacefunctions and capability for the user devices 120, 130, 140 as well asfor the servers 108, 118 to enable users and administrators ortechnicians to access and operate the user device(s), servers andassociated machinery.

One or more instances of the router 203 can be variously located withinand support routing functions within the wireless telecommunicationsservice provider network 101. The router 203 includes processors 224, acommunication interface 228, hardware 230, and a memory 226 thatcontains various software modules including a routing management module234 that supports various routing functions of the router 203. Acommunication monitor module 236 can support monitoring ofcommunications between the router 203 and other entities, for example,the Wi-Fi network 103, the Internet 105 and the user devices 120, 130,140, to support analysis and management functions performed by theservers 108, 118 or other elements of the wireless telecommunicationsservice provider or wireless telecommunications service provider network101 with respect to the services and communications described herein.Also included are a user interface module 238 to facilitate directcommunications with a human operator if needed, and a general operationsmodule 232 that can enable the router 203 to accept and accomplishvarious tasks for the system or subsystem to which it more particularlybelongs.

The memories 206, 226 optionally include computer-readable storagemedia. Computer-readable storage media can include or encompass volatileand non-volatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in anymethod or technology for storage of information such ascomputer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, orother data. Computer-readable storage media includes, but is not limitedto, random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), electricallyerasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM), flash memory or othermemory technology, compact disk read only memory (CD-ROM), digitalversatile disks (DVD), high-definition multimedia/data storage disks, orother optical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic diskstorage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that canbe used to store information for access by a computing device. Asdefined herein, computer-readable storage media do not consist of, andare not formed exclusively by, modulated data signals, such as a carrierwave.

FIG. 3 illustrates a process 300 that encompasses embodiments andscenarios variously described herein. In a first block 302, a request isreceived for geographic directions provide to a user to navigate theuser's mobile device to a location of another user's mobile device. Asdescribed herein with respect to different embodiments, the request canbe received by a wireless telecommunications service provider network orother central service or computing facility (real, virtual, or composedof distributed but coordinated computing functions and capability) suchas a service in cloud accessed via the network or the Internet, and canoriginate from a user via the user's device. In accordance with variousembodiments described herein, the user originating the request can be auser desiring navigation directions to another user's device, or can bea first user desiring that a second user navigate to the first user, orboth (the first and second users navigate to each other, and possiblyadditional users also navigate to the first and/or second users). Inexample embodiments, one of the user devices, or multiple user devicesacting in coordination, can provide functions of the central service togenerate and appropriately share geographic directions based on mobiledevice locations. From block 302 the process moves to block 304. Themobile devices described with respect to FIG. 3 correspond to the userdevices 120, 130, 140 shown in FIG. 2 and encompass user devicesgenerally and variously described herein.

In block 304, geographic locations of the mobile devices are received,for example, by a central authority, along with any context information(such as requests and request origins, applicable rules such as timelimits described herein with respect to various embodiments). In thisblock, location information can also be shared, so that involved mobiledevices receive or report their own locations and also receive locationinformation pertaining to other mobile devices to which they will bedirected and/or which will be directed to them. From block 304 theprocess moves to block 306.

In block 306, geographic navigation directions are provided to themobile devices in accordance with various embodiments described herein,for example, to a first mobile device for navigating to a second mobiledevice as in the first embodiment, and to second and optionally thirdmobile devices for navigating to the first mobile device (or the otherof the second or third mobile device) consistent with embodimentsvariously described herein. Status information is also conveyed, forexample, progress of the first mobile device along its journey or pathto the second mobile device is reported to the second mobile device forpresentation or display to the second user (or user of the second mobiledevice). As noted elsewhere herein, the geographic navigation directionsare variously generated by a wireless telecommunications serviceprovider network, by one or more of the user devices or mobile devices,and/or by third-party or computational cloud resources accessible to thewireless telecommunications service provider or third party. From block306, the process moves to block 308.

In block 308, updated mobile device location(s) and updated contextinformation are received. For example, new locations reflecting movementof one or more of the mobile devices is shared and geographic navigationdirections are updated accordingly and sent out to appropriate ones ofthe mobile devices, along with updated context information, which caninclude, for example, status information such as journey progress,proximity or degree of adherence of mobile devices to (or deviationfrom) directed navigation paths, or in other words, paths that thenavigation directions direct mobile device(s) (or in other words theirusers) to follow along. Context information can also include informationbased on which rules are invoked and geographic navigation directionsare updated or changed, for example, expirations of time as describedfor example with respect to various embodiments such as the fourth,sixth and seventh embodiments described herein. From block 308 theprocess moves to block 310.

In block 310, updated geographic navigation directions and statusinformation are provided to the mobile devices in accordance withvarious embodiments described herein, so that the directions andinformation can be presented or displayed on the mobile devices fortheir respective users to act upon. The geographic navigation directionsand status information are updated, for example, based on the locationand context information received in block 308. The subprocess of blocks308 and 310 can for example be repeated until involved mobile devicesare co-located, one or more users of the mobile devices opt out of theprocess, or one or more other end conditions occur such as timing,failure of service, mobile device battery reserves below predeterminedor critical levels, and so forth. The process shown in FIG. 3 can alsobe repeated, and appropriately re-arranged. For example, requests can bereceived midway through an existing process, as described for examplewith respect to the eighth embodiment.

Various embodiments provide technical advantages that enable greaterservice and functionality to be provided to users with greaterefficiency and lower resource cost. For example, instead of requiringusers to acquire and deploy specialized equipment to implement and usegeographic wayfinding to navigate to each other, existing equipment andcapabilities can be advantageously applied to provide greaterfunctionality to users via their wireless mobile device withoutrequiring additional devices or infrastructure, thus conserving materialresources and energy.

CONCLUSION

Although the subject matter has been described in language specific tostructural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understoodthat the subject matter defined in the appended claims is notnecessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above.Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed asexample forms of implementing the claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for communicating between first and second wireless communication devices, comprising: receiving location information from the first wireless communication device indicating a geographic location of the first wireless communication device; sending the geographic location of the first wireless communication device to the second wireless communication device; receiving location information from the second wireless communication device indicating a geographic location of the second wireless communication device; sending the geographic location of the second wireless communication device to the first wireless communication device; sending directions to the first wireless communication device for presentation to a first user for geographically navigating the first wireless communication device to the second wireless communication device; determining a time interval for the first user to geographically navigate the first wireless communication device to the geographic location of the second wireless communication device; sending updated directions to the first wireless communication device for geographically navigating the first wireless communication device to the second wireless communication device, based on changes in at least one of the geographic location of the first wireless communication device or the geographic location of the second wireless communication device; determining that the time interval has elapsed since sending the directions to the first wireless communication device for presentation to the first user for geographically navigating the first wireless communication device to the second wireless communication device and before the first user has geographically navigated the first wireless communication device to the geographic location of the second wireless communication device; based on determining that the time interval has elapsed since sending the directions to the first wireless communication device for presentation to the first user for geographically navigating the first wireless communication device to the second wireless communication device and before the first user has geographically navigated the first wireless communication device to the geographic location of the second wireless communication device, determining additional directions for a third user to geographically navigate a third wireless communication device to the geographic location of the second wireless communication device; sending the additional directions to the third wireless communication device for presentation to the third user for geographically navigating the third wireless communication device to the first wireless communication device; sending an updated location of the first wireless communication device to the second wireless communication device and the third wireless device; and based on the updated location sending a first alert to a second user of the second wireless communication device indicating geographic movement of the first wireless communication device and a second alert to the third user of the third wireless communication device indicating the geographic movement of the first wireless communication device.
 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving a request from the second wireless communication device; and in response to the request, sending the directions to the first wireless communication device for presentation to the first user for geographically navigating the first wireless communication device to the second wireless communication device.
 3. The method of claim 1, further comprising: sending directions to the second wireless communication device for presentation to the second user for geographically navigating the second wireless communication device to the first wireless communication device; and sending updated directions to the second wireless communication device for presentation to the second user for geographically navigating the second wireless communication device to the first wireless communication device, based on changes in at least one of the geographic location of the first wireless communication device or the geographic location of the second wireless communication device.
 4. The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving location information from the third wireless communication device indicating a geographic location of the third wireless communication device; sending the geographic location of the second wireless communication device to the third wireless communication device; in response to determining that the time interval has elapsed since sending the directions to the first wireless communication device for presentation to the first user for geographically navigating the first wireless communication device to the second wireless communication device and before the first user has geographically navigated the first wireless communication device to the geographic location of the second wireless communication device, sending directions to the second wireless communication device for presentation to the second user for geographically navigating the second wireless communication device to the first wireless communication device; sending updated directions to the second wireless communication device for presentation to the second user for geographically navigating the second wireless communication device to the first wireless communication device, based on changes in at least one of the geographic location of the first wireless communication device or the geographic location of the second wireless communication device; and sending updated directions to the third wireless communication device for presentation to the third user for geographically navigating the third wireless communication device to the first wireless communication device, based on changes in at least one of the geographic location of the first wireless communication device or the geographic location of the third wireless communication device.
 5. The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving location information from the third wireless communication device indicating a geographic location of the third wireless communication device; sending the geographic location of the second wireless communication device to the third wireless communication device; sending updated directions to the third wireless communication device for presentation to the third user for geographically navigating the third wireless communication device to the second wireless communication device, based on changes in at least one of the geographic location of the second wireless communication device or the geographic location of the third wireless communication device.
 6. The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving a request from the first wireless communication device, wherein the sending of the directions to the first wireless communication device for presentation to the first user for geographically navigating the first wireless communication device to the second wireless communication device, is performed in response to the request; receiving location information from the third wireless communication device indicating a geographic location of the third wireless communication device; sending the geographic locations of the first and second wireless communication devices to the third wireless communication device; sending directions to the second wireless communication device for presentation to the second user for geographically navigating the second wireless communication device to the first wireless communication device; sending updated directions to the second wireless communication device for presentation to the second user for geographically navigating the second wireless communication device to the first wireless communication device, based on changes in at least one of the geographic location of the first wireless communication device or the geographic location of the second wireless communication device; and sending updated directions to the third wireless communication device for presentation to the third user for geographically navigating the third wireless communication device to the first wireless communication device, based on changes in at least one of the geographic location of the first wireless communication device or the geographic location of the third wireless communication device.
 7. The method of claim 6, further comprising: receiving a request to redirect the first wireless communication device from the second wireless communication device to the third wireless communication device; in response to the request, sending directions to the first wireless communication device for presentation to the first user for geographically navigating the first wireless communication device to the third wireless communication device; and sending an alert to the first wireless communication device for presentation to the first user, to the second wireless communication device for presentation to the second user, and to the third wireless communication device for presentation to the third user, indicating that the first wireless communication device is being directed to the third wireless communication device.
 8. A network device, comprising: at least one processor; a network interface; a storage device coupled to at least one processor; and software instructions stored in the storage device, wherein execution of the software instructions by the at least one processor configures the network device to perform: receiving location information from the first wireless communication device indicating a geographic location of the first wireless communication device; sending the geographic location of the first wireless communication device to the second wireless communication device; receiving location information from the second wireless communication device indicating a geographic location of the second wireless communication device; sending the geographic location of the second wireless communication device to the first wireless communication device; sending directions to the first wireless communication device for presentation to a first user for geographically navigating the first wireless communication device to the second wireless communication device; determining a time interval for the first user to geographically navigate the first wireless communication device to the geographic location of the second wireless communication device; sending updated directions to the first wireless communication device for geographically navigating the first wireless communication device to the second wireless communication device, based on changes in at least one of the geographic location of the first wireless communication device or the geographic location of the second wireless communication device; determining that the time interval has elapsed since sending the directions to the first wireless communication device for presentation to the first user for geographically navigating the first wireless communication device to the second wireless communication device and before the first user has geographically navigated the first wireless communication device to the geographic location of the second wireless communication device; based on determining that the time interval has elapsed since sending the directions to the first wireless communication device for presentation to the first user for geographically navigating the first wireless communication device to the second wireless communication device and before the first user has geographically navigated the first wireless communication device to the geographic location of the second wireless communication device, determining additional directions for a third user to geographically navigate a third wireless communication device to the geographic location of the second wireless communication device; sending the additional directions to the third wireless communication device for presentation to the third user for geographically navigating the third wireless communication device to the first wireless communication device; sending an updated location of the first wireless communication device to the second wireless communication device and the third wireless device; and based on the updated location sending a first alert to a second user of the second wireless communication device indicating geographic movement of the first wireless communication device and a second alert to the third user of the third wireless communication device indicating the geographic movement of the first wireless communication device.
 9. The network device of claim 8, wherein execution of the software instructions by the at least one processor configures the network device to perform: receiving a request from the second wireless communication device; and in response to the request, sending the directions to the first wireless communication device for presentation to the first user for geographically navigating the first wireless communication device to the second wireless communication device.
 10. The network device of claim 8, wherein execution of the software instructions by the at least one processor configures the network device to perform: sending directions to the second wireless communication device for presentation to the second user for geographically navigating the second wireless communication device to the first wireless communication device; and sending updated directions to the second wireless communication device for presentation to the second user for geographically navigating the second wireless communication device to the first wireless communication device, based on changes in at least one of the geographic location of the first wireless communication device or the geographic location of the second wireless communication device.
 11. The network device of claim 8, wherein execution of the software instructions by the at least one processor configures the network device to perform: receiving location information from the third wireless communication device indicating a geographic location of the third wireless communication device; sending the geographic location of the second wireless communication device to the third wireless communication device; in response to determining that the time interval has elapsed since sending the directions to the first wireless communication device for presentation to the first user for geographically navigating the first wireless communication device to the second wireless communication device and before the first user has geographically navigated the first wireless communication device to the geographic location of the second wireless communication device, sending directions to the second wireless communication device for presentation to the second user for geographically navigating the second wireless communication device to the first wireless communication device; sending updated directions to the second wireless communication device for presentation to the second user for geographically navigating the second wireless communication device to the first wireless communication device, based on changes in at least one of the geographic location of the first wireless communication device or the geographic location of the second wireless communication device; and sending updated directions to the third wireless communication device for presentation to the third user for geographically navigating the third wireless communication device to the first wireless communication device, based on changes in at least one of the geographic location of the first wireless communication device or the geographic location of the third wireless communication device.
 12. The network device of claim 8, wherein execution of the software instructions by the at least one processor configures the network device to perform: receiving location information from the third wireless communication device indicating a geographic location of the third wireless communication device; sending the geographic location of the second wireless communication device to the third wireless communication device; and sending updated directions to the third wireless communication device for presentation to the third user for geographically navigating the third wireless communication device to the second wireless communication device, based on changes in at least one of the geographic location of the second wireless communication device or the geographic location of the third wireless communication device.
 13. The network device of claim 8, wherein execution of the software instructions by the at least one processor configures the network device to perform: receiving a request from the first wireless communication device, wherein the sending of the directions to the first wireless communication device for presentation to the first user for geographically navigating the first wireless communication device to the second wireless communication device, is performed in response to the request; receiving location information from the third wireless communication device indicating a geographic location of the third wireless communication device; sending the geographic locations of the first and second wireless communication devices to the third wireless communication device; sending directions to the second wireless communication device for presentation to the second user for geographically navigating the second wireless communication device to the first wireless communication device; sending updated directions to the second wireless communication device for presentation to the second user for geographically navigating the second wireless communication device to the first wireless communication device, based on changes in at least one of the geographic location of the first wireless communication device or the geographic location of the second wireless communication device; and sending updated directions to the third wireless communication device for presentation to the third user for geographically navigating the third wireless communication device to the first wireless communication device, based on changes in at least one of the geographic location of the first wireless communication device or the geographic location of the third wireless communication device.
 14. The network device of claim 13, wherein execution of the software instructions by the at least one processor configures the network device to perform: receiving a request to redirect the first wireless communication device from the second wireless communication device to the third wireless communication device; in response to the request, sending directions to the first wireless communication device for presentation to the first user for geographically navigating the first wireless communication device to the third wireless communication device; and sending an alert to the first wireless communication device for presentation to the first user, to the second wireless communication device for presentation to the second user, and to the third wireless communication device for presentation to the third user, indicating that the first wireless communication device is being directed to the third wireless communication device.
 15. A computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the processor to perform: receiving location information from the first wireless communication device indicating a geographic location of the first wireless communication device; sending the geographic location of the first wireless communication device to the second wireless communication device; receiving location information from the second wireless communication device indicating a geographic location of the second wireless communication device; sending the geographic location of the second wireless communication device to the first wireless communication device; sending directions to the first wireless communication device for presentation to a first user for geographically navigating the first wireless communication device to the second wireless communication device; determining a time interval for the first user to geographically navigate the first wireless communication device to the geographic location of the second wireless communication device; sending updated directions to the first wireless communication device for geographically navigating the first wireless communication device to the second wireless communication device, based on changes in at least one of the geographic location of the first wireless communication device or the geographic location of the second wireless communication device; determining that the time interval has elapsed since sending the directions to the first wireless communication device for presentation to the first user for geographically navigating the first wireless communication device to the second wireless communication device and before the first user has geographically navigated the first wireless communication device to the geographic location of the second wireless communication device; based on determining that the time interval has elapsed since sending the directions to the first wireless communication device for presentation to the first user for geographically navigating the first wireless communication device to the second wireless communication device and before the first user has geographically navigated the first wireless communication device to the geographic location of the second wireless communication device, determining additional directions for a third user to geographically navigate a third wireless communication device to the geographic location of the second wireless communication device; sending the additional directions to the third wireless communication device for presentation to the third user for geographically navigating the third wireless communication device to the first wireless communication device; sending an updated location of the first wireless communication device to the second wireless communication device and the third wireless device; and based on the updated location sending a first alert to a second user of the second wireless communication device indicating geographic movement of the first wireless communication device and a second alert to the third user of the third wireless communication device indicating the geographic movement of the first wireless communication device.
 16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, further comprising instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the processor to perform: sending directions to the second wireless communication device for presentation to the second user for geographically navigating the second wireless communication device to the first wireless communication device; and sending updated directions to the second wireless communication device for presentation to the second user for geographically navigating the second wireless communication device to the first wireless communication device, based on changes in at least one of the geographic location of the first wireless communication device or the geographic location of the second wireless communication device.
 17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, further comprising instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the processor to perform: receiving location information from the third wireless communication device indicating a geographic location of the third wireless communication device; sending the geographic location of the second wireless communication device to the third wireless communication device; in response to determining that the time interval has elapsed since sending the directions to the first wireless communication device for presentation to the first user for geographically navigating the first wireless communication device to the second wireless communication device and before the first user has geographically navigated the first wireless communication device to the geographic location of the second wireless communication device, sending directions to the second wireless communication device for presentation to the second user for geographically navigating the second wireless communication device to the first wireless communication device; sending updated directions to the second wireless communication device for presentation to the second user for geographically navigating the second wireless communication device to the first wireless communication device, based on changes in at least one of the geographic location of the first wireless communication device or the geographic location of the second wireless communication device; and sending updated directions to the third wireless communication device for presentation to the third user for geographically navigating the third wireless communication device to the first wireless communication device, based on changes in at least one of the geographic location of the first wireless communication device or the geographic location of the third wireless communication device.
 18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, further comprising instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the processor to perform: receiving location information from the third wireless communication device indicating a geographic location of the third wireless communication device; sending the geographic location of the second wireless communication device to the third wireless communication device; and sending updated directions to the third wireless communication device for presentation to the third user for geographically navigating the third wireless communication device to the second wireless communication device, based on changes in at least one of the geographic location of the second wireless communication device or the geographic location of the third wireless communication device.
 19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, further comprising instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the processor to perform: receiving a request from the first wireless communication device, wherein the sending of the directions to the first wireless communication device for presentation to the first user for geographically navigating the first wireless communication device to the second wireless communication device, is performed in response to the request; receiving location information from the third wireless communication device indicating a geographic location of the third wireless communication device; sending the geographic locations of the first and second wireless communication devices to the third wireless communication device; sending directions to the second wireless communication device for presentation to the second user for geographically navigating the second wireless communication device to the first wireless communication device; sending updated directions to the second wireless communication device for presentation to the second user for geographically navigating the second wireless communication device to the first wireless communication device, based on changes in at least one of the geographic location of the first wireless communication device or the geographic location of the second wireless communication device; and sending updated directions to the third wireless communication device for presentation to the third user for geographically navigating the third wireless communication device to the first wireless communication device, based on changes in at least one of the geographic location of the first wireless communication device or the geographic location of the third wireless communication device.
 20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19, further comprising instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the processor to perform: receiving a request to redirect the first wireless communication device from the second wireless communication device to the third wireless communication device; in response to the request, sending directions to the first wireless communication device for presentation to the first user for geographically navigating the first wireless communication device to the third wireless communication device; and sending an alert to the first wireless communication device for presentation to the first user, to the second wireless communication device for presentation to the second user, and to the third wireless communication device for presentation to the third user, indicating that the first wireless communication device is being directed to the third wireless communication device. 